


Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

by LeeAusten



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dean and Cas first kiss, Destiel - Freeform, M/M, castiel and dean's first time, castiel is a manager, castiel plays hard to get, dean meets cas at a supermarket, destiel first kiss, dom Cas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:47:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26997694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeAusten/pseuds/LeeAusten
Summary: Dean is a college student who has been doing his shopping at the same supermarket for a long time. Why? Castiel, the older floor supervisor has caught his eye and he's desperately falling in love.They've never talked to each other, until Dean finally builds up the courage to make the first move. But when he does, Castiel deflects. And Dean...Dean still keeps trying...
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean and Castiel, Destiel, Destiel Supernatural - Relationship, destiel spn - Relationship, spn dean cas, supernatural dean castiel
Comments: 29
Kudos: 57





	1. The Floor Supervisor

It was five months now, frequenting the same supermarket at the corner of West and Main Streets in a small town in Baltimore.

Drained from a round of classes throughout the day, because Wednesdays were packed to capacity, Dean would grab a red plastic basket by the door and stroll in. Tapping idly on his phone, checking emails and WhatsApp messages, he headed to the magazine rack first to pick up the latest copy of Busty Babes. All the while, his eyes would also be darting around like high beams poking through the night, trying to locate his ray of sunshine.

Dean was supposed to be frustrated at that point, just a fourth year on the verge of leaping rather than taking it easy. But he understood the benefits of stalking out a suitable prey, learning the target's habits and trying to develop some kind of plan. And asking someone out wasn't supposed to be so damn hard. He had done it so many times before, always managing to get the girl after one sucky pickup line.

This time though, there was no chick but a Floor Supervisor who owned the most amazing pools of blue eyes, perfectly toned biceps that stretched the arms of t-shirts, a glorious ass and thighs that were sinfully concealed from any human's prying eyes. And why on earth was he so special enough to force a twenty-three year old to question his sexuality? Maybe it was the buildup of observations every Wednesday, the small details that stood out and the fact that every single time Dean rounded a corner and spied the older man, he bolted the other way.

He first realized his severe attraction during a casual stroll in the supermarket back in May. The kind of late night shopping that only consisted of his desperate need of a six pack, Menthols and a grab and go deli sandwich. Coupled with some painkillers to kick away the hangover in the morning, Dean was just deciding to flirt with the petite blonde handing out samples of Nature Valley bars by the magazine rack when he distinctly heard a low rumble of a man's voice and then the most beautiful string of laughter.

Maybe he shouldn’t have spun around in that moment. Maybe he should have kept on pushing Adele for her number, stuffing his pockets with those health bars and following up with a direct path towards his Impala. But no. The laugh was like music, and after latching his eyes onto the handsome employee chatting up a cashier, Dean's knees weakened and he melted from what his brother would later refer to as _love at first sight._

He was never attracted to another man before in his entire life. Well, that would be a downright lie, considering his absolute crush on Ryan Reynolds. But this time, _this_ was something stronger, something that he guiltily played with in order to derive some kind of satisfaction in the middle of the week. He would linger around corners, avoid whichever lane the other man was packing, and just because he felt adventurous, Dean would wear a little extra cologne.

Tonight of all nights though, he managed to brave all odds by taking the first step towards making himself _seen_ by the older man. Not that it was hard to accomplish. With the empty lanes at minutes to seven in the night, there was no chance of obstacles getting in the way except that he deliberately chose to place an abundance of distance between them. This time though, Dean decided that it was time to present himself for inspection, to get a name at least and so, after identifying that his object of lust was hanging in the pet lane, he sucked it up and rounded the corner.

At first, the only thing he was conscious of, was his heart hammering away inside his chest as if trying to leap out. Even Castiel's ruffled dark hair that appeared more glorious under the wide lights of the supermarket couldn't dull the weakened disposition. Dean was flopping around like a fish out of water even as he neared five feet of floor space between him and the man who was stooping low and packing bags of Purina cat food onto the shelf.

 _What an ass_.

He never really checked out another man's rear before, but the merchandise in those black jeans was so distracting, that he almost bumped into a black rack stocked with squeaky toys. Oh, how the shame would have turned him a dark shade of red if he caused a scene on their first meeting. Dean would have bolted again, this time, switching his midweek shopping to Dusty's around the corner where the prices were jacked up way more than he could afford. But no such thing happened, in fact, the entire world seemed to be placed on mute as Dean turned to face a shelf of tinned cat food and he carefully studied the colorful labels.

Who the hell was he fooling? He didn't own a pet of any kind. Maybe the rats that gathered by the dumpster in the alleyway three floors down below his dorm window. The ones who feasted on his leftovers that he tossed every single morning on his way to classes in greasy fast food paper bags. But a cat wasn't sitting in his room waiting for him, and he never liked them except for the talking Chinese Siamese one from the animated cartoon.

Sam would rate his brother's behavior as an A grade loser if he even caught a whiff of the hopeless situation unfolding. For a full minute, Dean scanned the shelves whilst diverting his attention to the owner of the finest ass and he hoped, really hoped that he wasn't going to make a fool of himself any time soon.

Just when he felt like the stars would never be aligned to satisfy his school girl crush, their eyes met for the first time. It felt very close to the times when he would hang by the beach with Sam during sunsets in Florida. The same feeling of the waves rolling over his toes. That's what the gaze felt like, lasting for a few seconds between them and never quite growing uncomfortable. Almost like they were searching for something maybe, trying to grasp the concept of a _no homo_ moment which was a complete gay moment on Dean's side but perhaps a mundane occurrence on the older man's part.

"Do you…require any assistance?" from the moment he rose up, his rectangular white badge revealed a name that was immediately consumed by Dean.

**Castiel Novak**

**Floor Supervisor**

You could supervise my floors any time you want, you delectable hunk of a man.

Dean cleared his throat, "not really. I was just…" he glanced back at the shelf and frowned, "wondering if they were in stock again. Came two days ago and couldn't find the Mixed Grill."

"Strange," Castiel's forehead creased as he rose up and studied the small towers of tins before them. "We always have those in stock. Maybe you arrived just when the last one was out for the week…perhaps," as he drew closer, Dean held his breath and stiffened, "they were merely hiding from you. They tend to do that sometimes." HIs cologne. His goddamn cologne was light and refreshing and beautiful.

"Yeah?" Grinning like an absolute fool, Dean could literally feel his cheeks grow warmer and understood that he was possibly two full minutes away from appearing like a blushing asshole. "Well, thanks to you for keeping those delinquents in order."

Standing up straight, hands hanging down his sides, the older man studied green eyes with a beautiful smile. "I'm beginning to feel like I'm a Prison Officer. My own little world of inmates right here in a supermarket. How many do you need?"

Blue eyes, like pools of ocean that he could dip his toes into and drown inside… "Huh?" Dean blinked and tried to clear his thoughts.

"Tins," Castiel tried with a small smile and hands planted on his hips.

The manner in which he stood was a little too distracting because for some odd reason, attention was drawn to whatever was below his belt and from the moment Dean realized that he was invading, he stiffly turned to the shelf.

"One should do." Plucking a tin away, he rested it into his basket and wondered which cat he would be feeding. Possibly one in the alleyway, a feral stray that would sniff the fancy wet food and stride away in disgust. "And now there's an empty space on the shelf. Dammit. The lane was looking so perfect before I ruined it."

The same laugh came afterwards, the very one that weakened Dean's knees the first time, a low rumble that was attached to sparkling eyes. "You are so funny. You know, it _is_ actually my job to replenish what was bought. Please don't feel like you're committing a crime of any kind." And just like that, Castiel returned to the trolley stacked with four boxes of products, and he resumed packing.

Of course, Dean was left to stare, wondering many things at the same time. Did he say something wrong? Had he fucked up already? A woman would have asked for his number by then, possibly sniffed him and identified what time she got off from work. But who was he kidding? Castiel was possibly the straightest guy to ever exist in town, and judging from his neat attire and good humor, he probably attended church every Sunday and had a girlfriend with a fancy name like Hanna or Darla.

No matter how attractive Dean thought he was, he could never be appealing to someone like Castiel. He could never quite cut it, readily accomplishing what he thought would have been a little too easy like always. Instead, he began to walk away with his tail between his legs, and a dull ache inside his chest, feeling rather disappointed that he couldn't even make the first move like he always did. He should have asked for his number, come right out and do it. Or maybe, he should have prolonged the conversation, being the skilful conversationalist he always was.

But no, he turned the corner and headed towards the refrigerator, knowing that he would consume the entire six pack that night in the hopes of trying to forget his ridiculous crush on someone who wouldn't even consider him as anything other than a customer.

Just as he was heading to the cashier though, the soft patter of shoes sounded behind him and before he could turn around, his shoulder brushed with a kind of warmth that was too much too ignore.

"I was wondering," Castiel came to stand in front of Dean and his white shirt was without a crease that maybe the actual sight of such a perfect man was a sin, "do you already have a Loyalty Card?"

"I…no." Frowning, the younger man transferred the basket to his right hand and felt like he was on the verge of tumbling off a cliff from the heaviness of his nerves weighing down on him. "What's that now?"

"It's a very special card that rewards you overtime. As you shop, points are gained on your account and every Thursday, for example, we offer discounts on certain items that carry a yellow tag," blue orbs were so huge, it wasn't supposed to be possible to contain so much color inside someone's pair of eyes. "Very easy to sign up for one. Do you have any form of identification on you?"

In fact, he did, and as he reached into his brown leather jacket for his wallet, Dean trailed after the spritely man who was determined to increase the pool of registered card holders on such a boring night in the week. By the time they were at the Customer Service desk, Castiel was far too energized to seem normal at all. He appeared to be fueled by an inner desire to accomplish something that was curious to Dean and it couldn't just be the obvious. It had to be something else.

But he was terribly disappointed after the card was handed over and the two of them parted without another word. The only conversation they entertained during the process was the transfer of information onto a form; his telephone number, address and email. Coupled with the pen being handed over, no eye contact was made and even as Dean signed the damn form, he wasn't even considered as Castiel reached for the card behind the desk and handed it over to him with a smile that spoke volumes of practiced delightful customer service.

Two weeks later, and completely determined to run himself into the older man with more fervor than before, Dean returned to Chand's Supermarket and spared no haste in surveying the lanes.

Anyone would have thought that spending the last two weeks distracting himself from his school girl crush would have sufficed as enough to deter him from trying again. But he wasn't the kind to give up on something, especially when he felt like he _deserved_ the attention, or at least, he shouldn't be turned down even if he asked. And because he was so driven to prove a point to no one at all but himself, he spent half an hour waiting on Castiel to show up in one of the lanes and when he didn't, Dean did the most unexpected thing.

"I’m looking for the Floor Supervisor," he inquired after spotting another employee, this one rather much less spritely and awfully dead inside. With a basket filled with a six pack, Menthols and Skittles for good measure, Dean tried to look as casual as possible instead of fangirling over someone who couldn't care less about him. "Mister uh…Novak."

"Think he's on a break," and waltzing off just like that, dragging her feet in the process, the lane attendant disappeared around a corner.

"So much for Customer Service around here," Dean mumbled to himself, ready to accept defeat because she obviously proved to him that humans didn't give a shit about other humans. And why was he special again? Because of his good looks?

 _Looks and no game_ , Benny his buddy from college would say. _All it takes is one leap, brother. But you're so accustomed to standing back and letting them come to you._

"There's a special on Skittles tonight," came that seductive gravelly voice from behind, immediately weakening Dean's composure. He turned around to face the smiling likes of the man he was desperately searching for after a two weeks drought. "Three for the price of two. And if you're into salted peanuts, we have a fifty percent discount on Planters. A perfect combination with your beer."

"Hi," Dean tried with a smile that dissipated his worries, "damn, you're well-versed, aren't you?"

Castiel offered a small shrug and a dull blush covered his neck. "It's my job. Just as it was my job to fill the empty space in the shelf that you created."

 _He remembers me_. Dean's heart leapt a little and did a happy dance. "Might go with the peanuts. The Skittles, not so much. It's kind of my go to when I'm burning the midnight oil whilst studying. But I can lay off on the sugar for now."

"By all means, you do that. But remember that a hefty consumption of peanuts may heighten your cholesterol level."

"Is life ever easy?"

"I think that's what makes the whole experience quite enjoyable. Don't you agree?"

They inched to the corner of the lane as another customer pushed past their trolley and a toddler tried to grab at the boxes of cereals. And all the while, Dean realized that Castiel somehow could not peel his eyes away from him. It was different than before. The last time, all the older man offered was a mundane behavior towards another customer. But now he seemed a little more interested in their conversation, almost as if he _wanted_ to talk, rather than drifting away.

"I was actually asking for you a little while ago," Dean provided as butterflies fluttered around in his chest from the undivided attention he was receiving. "Someone said you were on a break."

"I was taking a fifteen. Why were you asking for me?" Castiel smiled despite his narrowed eyes and arms folded, he appeared very much comfortable with someone who must have been a complete stranger.

"The card," Dean scratched the back of his neck and felt ridiculous. "Was wondering if I get a discount every time I shop or I have to build up points or something."

The older man plucked a box of Cocoa Pebbles from the shelf and studied the puzzle behind it. "It's simple really. All you have to do is continuously use it in order to build your tier status. You're a Newbie at the moment. But overtime, you will transfer to Bronze which gifts you three percent off your receipt. Silver comes next then Gold of course rests on larger quantities of purchase done frequently. And so on, and so on."

"So basically, I'm going to be stuck at bronze since I just come in here to buy the usual three items," Dean studied Castiel's easily happy countenance and wondered if the man was always so good humored.

Did he get angry? Was there a wife who tortured his nerves sometimes? Did he have any kids? There wasn't a wedding band but then some men chose not to wear theirs for various reasons.

"You'll be fine," Castiel returned the box onto the shelf and scrutinized the price tags just to ensure that they was lined up with the correct product.

Ask him.

Dean fumbled around inside his head with the voices bouncing back and forth. The questions. The absence of courage and the abundance of nervousness.

"Seems like you work until closing time here, huh?"

Castiel was so easily fitted in his own comfortable bubble that he hummed whilst nodding slowly, and after crossing the aisle, he pulled two cans of soup forward to fill a small gap on the shelf. "I actually am _so_ dedicated to my job that I work twelve hours, six days a week."

"Damn, that's…" Dean admired the passion and realized that he had drifted closer to the older man as if gravitating towards some kind of divine being. "That's something. I mean, you'd have to have a pretty understandable wife or girlfriend to pull that off."

He did it. Bingo. Five stars at least with the additional confetti.

Chuckling, Castiel continued to neaten the cans on the shelf and it appeared as if he was deliberately trying to avoid the two of them facing each other. "I suppose that's so. But since I don't have either one of those, then I'm safe from coming to a compromise."

"Come on," Dean's chest was exploding by then with relief as he stayed where he was, a mere two feet away, "you mean to tell me that a guy with your looks, you have no attachment of any kind? That's got to be by choice because if it ain't, then I'm more curious to know why."

"By choice. I'm very career driven."

"You've got to throw a little romance in there somewhere…"

Castiel sighed, withdrew his hand from between the cans and his fingers trembled slightly whilst he adjusted two orange price tags. The tremor didn't go unnoticed by Dean, who latched onto the occurrence and studied it with fascination and worry at the same time.

A bad experience. A relationship that went sour too fast and possibly wounded with a sharp bite that drew blood. That much he could decipher from the reaction after the mention of romance. Hopefully it wasn't a love affair that ended in death, because those were equally worse and took a long time to recover from. And if Castiel was suffering from heartbreak, then the game of flirtation would need to be adapted and altered.

"Sorry if I'm being a dick by poking around where I’m not supposed to," Dean said softly, realizing that he was probably fucking up everything already. "But it's just that…" don't freeze up, come on. Keep going and give it your all. Only one chance to fuck it up. Go big or go home. "…I've been coming in here a long time now feeling like one of those ridiculous secret admirers who can't stop themselves. I mean, you…" when Castiel stopped and turned to stare at him, Dean really wanted to run. His eyes widened a bit as he swallowed. "You're gorgeous, man. At least to me, you are."

For a long time, the older man simply studied green orbs with a wild fascination, almost as if he was on the precipice of something mysterious. All of the wheels were turning inside of his mind. His chest heaved for a few seconds and then he blinked a few times too many before turning paler.

"I apologize," Castiel said so suddenly, stepping away from the shelf and clearing his throat, "but, ah, I really should…I should…get back to work."

"Yeah," Dean's voice cracked under the weight of absolute disappointment when his stare trailed after the departing figure of a man who was determined to leave his company. "You do that. Fuck." He felt so burdened by shame that he leant onto the shelf and closed his eyes, fighting to take measured breaths.

**Chapter Two?**


	2. The Audacity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, bitches!

Walking away was possibly the worst thing someone could have done to Dean, especially in his time of need. He could count the amount of times a woman turned him down on one hand. But Castiel was a clear sign of never being able to succeed in all areas. Obviously he scared the man, forcing him to scramble away to the safety of some other lane deprived of the likes of Dean Winchester, the crazy customer who thought it was okay to flirt.

When he got home that night, he once again consumed the entire six pack and fell asleep drunk as a fish flat on the floor of his small dorm room in the moonlight. Maybe transforming into a werewolf would aid his case, because he would break out of the window and roam free for hours instead of sucking up beers.

Switching to the other supermarket was of course his worst nightmare because the place reeked of cigars and welcomed the noisy crowd of gangsters from around the neighborhood. Benny loved the supermarket, as he did most of the grocery shopping there in order to whip up his Cajun meals in between the ones Dean tried to master from online cooking videos. Most nights his roommate spent the time away on his late shift at the warehouse, so the dorm was left with the kind of quiet that allowed regrets to sprout like weeds.

Dean was far too convinced that he could never return to Chand's anytime soon because seeing Castiel would serve as a constant reminder of his desperate need to embarrass himself. And so he persevered with frequenting the alternative for four weeks after until one night showing up and realizing that the damn place was closed because of a termite problem.

He was the one who needed to tend to the grocery shopping that week since Benny was down with the flu, and since the list consisted of medication for his ailing friend, he dragged his feet back to the place of doom.

What made matters worse was that the first person he ran into by the stack of baskets was no other than the contributing factor to his night sweats and erotic dreams as of recent. The one person he envisioned peeling off that starch white shirt, unbuckling those black pants and revealing exactly what was so damn intoxicating about the appeal for another man. The same man who invaded his mind and he tried to make love to but without the substance of touch and taste, nothing felt right.

The two of them stared at each other.

"Hi—" Dean tried in a voice that was not his own before Castiel turned and walked away as if faced with the angel of death. "Right, great." Rolling his eyes, he sucked in a generous amount of air and felt light-headed.

Five minutes later and pushing a full trolley down the lane stacked with meats, the first thing that caught his attention was the discount on sausages. He thought, guiltily of course, that the one person who would have highlighted such an amazing deal would have been the very same one who fled the scene. Now, left to his own convictions that they would no longer ever exchange words, Dean plucked out three packets and rested them in the confinements of his trolley.

Milk? Definitely. Two cartons and a tray of eggs. Then again, he should grab two trays just in case. Benny also liked his Barbeque sauces coupled with lots of onions and celery. Dammit. He'd have to wound his way all the way back to the produce section in order to get those. So he did, naturally already certain that his progress would be monitored by the older man in order to prevent a collision between the two of them.

Just as he was grabbing a packet of celery though, Dean felt the taunting presence behind him before turning around. And when he did come face to face with the somewhat surprising face of Castiel once again, he wasn't prepared to formulate a complete sentence.

"I must say this," the older man rushed out, quite odd and staring with those huge pools of blue. "Let me expel my thoughts before they eat me alive." And lifting his hands, he tried to settle himself slowly. “Before they consume me like crows landing on a carcass…”

Dean, on the other hand, was staring and holding his damn breath because the actuality of the two of them coming together to have a conversation was never on his TO HAPPEN list after the diversion by the entrance.

"I feel very bothered by the fact that you switched from us to the competitor in the past few weeks. We have exceptional customer service, a wider variety of products, an in store bakery and a pharmacy. Which they lack, of course. Knowing that it was my entire fault, I absorb all the blame…" offering a slackened smile, Castiel sighed and gingerly chewed his lips as their eyes rested on each other. Again, and every single time they locked a gaze, something between them sparked.

"Any blame was all on me," Dean said as his chest ached terribly from the inability to just try and accomplish something that he most desired. Then again, all the best things in life came with constant trials and struggles. "Look man, if it makes you feel any better, I'm willing to ask for a do over. We…forget whatever happened and just return to being a regular customer and a floor supervisor. Nothing more. How does that sound?"

A few seconds elapsed. "You wish for us to go back to being strangers?" The way Castiel asked the question sounded rather disappointing with a quizzical expression. He wrung his hands as if suddenly nervous, unsure of himself.

"That's what we're both aiming for…"

"I never determined that, Dean Winchester."

"You did, the moment you kind of walked away from me the last time we—" Wait, what?

Staring in disbelief from the use of his name rolling off the other man's tongue so easily, Dean forgot how to breathe for a few seconds. Again. His grasp on the handle of the trolley slackened and then almost as if fearing that he would faint, he held on firm enough to at least pull himself back into focus.

If Castiel remembered his name, then at least that was worth something, right? In fact, he couldn't recall introducing himself to the other man, and the only way he could have become familiar with his name would be during the registration process for the loyalty card.

"Forgive for being so astonished by your directness before. I'm really not accustomed to such…things as another man making advances on me." Castiel seemed so composed, as if the conversation was very much less intimidating than it appeared to be for Dean who couldn't contain his own anxiety. "I'm not…gay."

"Hey, neither am I. I'm all for women until I first saw you," now this was becoming very awkward by the second. "I mean, I'd still hit on a woman despite the obvious, that I'm uh…that there’s something's special about you. You know what?" Dean decided that enough was enough and he gripped the trolley, ready to roll it away, "I'm just making this worse and I don't want to do that. So I'm going to shut the hell up and walk away."

"There's nothing special about me," Castiel said, trailing behind, and wringing his hands whilst frowning. They rolled past the bakery section, fresh scents of bread and pastries consuming their minds. "I'm just a plain man who fits the definition of a creature of habit quite remarkably. To say the least, you can't possibly _know_ me that well to ascertain that I'm special, right? We're just strangers crossing paths."

"Maybe you're right," Dean stopped pushing the trolley and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, wishing that he would just be left alone to stew in his own shameful thoughts. "Maybe this is just one big mistake but all I was aiming for was to actually get to know you. Now I don’t feel like I'll ever be given the opportunity to do that, because you probably think I'm some kind of freak. So, let me grab some stuff at the pharmacy and get out of your way."

Castiel sighed though as the soft instrumental music drifted from the speakers above them and the air smelled tangy from the oranges. "Why is it that men can persistently hit on a woman, until they get a satisfactory response…and you're quick to shake me off despite your claims that you're highly interested in me?"

Dean puffed out his chest, and quickened his pace and all the way, he was followed through the empty store as the time closed in on eight o'clock. Benny was tucked in bed, severely in need of his medication, and there he was on a poor excuse of flirting like no other he ever experienced in his entire life.

"Did you hope to accomplish a quick meet and hook up in order to satisfy the anticipation of a one-night stand with me?"

Immediately stopping, Dean turned around and stared in bewilderment at the older man who by then was determined to get a rise out of him. Hair disheveled, everything else on his person neatly arranged, down to the shine on his shoes. The way he seemed to become slightly irritated from a one sided conversation was all too adorable after Dean assessed his countenance. And although he detested continuing the conversation, he understood that in order to win the war, one must persevere.

"No, I wasn't looking for that. I'm actually a pretty decent guy who has standards." He didn't mean to offer sarcasm, but it slipped out anyway and from the moment the bitterness was delivered, blue eyes widened. "Good to know you actually thought I wanted to just screw you though. What is this, man?" Dean frowned and became terribly agitated, "some kind of test to tell if I'm an asshole or not?"

"Maybe…"

"Screw you." And deciding that Castiel was definitely _not_ the kind of man he was attracted to, Dean pushed on until the trolley nosed the pharmacy counter.

From there, he focused primarily on achieving his purchases; Theraflu which Benny swore to and some Vitamin C. Whilst the cashier rang up the receipt though, Dean still pondered on the prior interaction, hoping that he would be forgiven for lusting after another man in ways he couldn’t even understand.

In his dreams, most of them began with kissing and escalated into heavy touching. Nothing else followed because he wasn't privy to exploring those territories. But when he used to cast his eyes on Castiel before they even started talking, he would feel a kind of softness inside of his chest like no other.

He wanted to get to know him, to just somehow…familiarize himself with someone who looked like an angel.

There was no hope for that anymore.

As he was loading up the backseat with the plastic bags of groceries, the dull thuds of shoe heels hitting the parking lot drew closer. Dean thought for a small space of time that he was about to be mugged, but after quickly straightening up and casting his eyes on an advancing Castiel, he braced himself for the collision.

It was like two unstoppable forces about to blast into one another; one obviously aimed to scold persistently and the other just wishing to jump in his car and drive back to the dorms.

"You're unbelievable," the older man said angrily, working himself up into a rage that was surprising and obviously astonished the receiver of the statement. "You," Castiel poked a finger into Dean's chest, "are exceptionally bad at flirting and if you must know, which I think you _should_ , you've left me feeling quite awful about myself."

"Sorry?" Dean tried, obviously confused as he backed into the car door, a little threatened but by his own mind and body transforming into a lusting beast that might lunge on the prey. Said prey was wild and sexy, panting with soft lips and smooth skin.

"This is the reason I do not favor the prospect of romance." Huffing out a sigh, blue eyes glared at the illuminated sign on the building. "It brings with it disappointments and heavy regret. How could you lead me on, only to make me feel like I'm completely unworthy?"

"I know a lost cause when I see one…"

"So, I was supposed to be _easy_ and now I'm to be discarded like a malfunctioning toy…" Castiel stared back in disbelief, fists clenched. "The prospects of this even happening right now is hilarious because I've never been troubled in such a way. Your absence made me feel so guilty, it was perhaps sinful to imagine that it had more substance than I believed."

Two beats and then they locked eyes. This time though, Dean's parted lips matched his dazed admiration for a man who was beyond spectacular in every single way. His diversion to another supermarket deeply upset Castiel to a point where he was untethered and mildly angered. The black tie that was once perfectly fixed was now twisted backwards.

"I don't want to be strangers. I lied." Dean squared his shoulders and inhaled deeply.

"Oh, really now?" blue eyes widened.

"I am…a slave…for you," the younger man croaked, unashamed at that point because the words rolling off his tongue were very much _not_ any less suggestive of intimacy. "I'm the damn customer, I want you to give me your best customer service."

"You have one more chance to attempt…" Castiel gestured at him warily, "whatever else you may have in there to flirt with me. Prove to me that the advances of a man can be enough to sway my mind from a completely heterosexual way of thinking to…your glorifying existence. Go on."

For a long time, Dean tried to relax himself, he honestly did. But the lack of space between them was torturing him so much that he felt pressured to demand his body to behave. There were parts of him that awakened as the string of actions in his dreams came to the front burners of his mind.

He wanted to kiss Castiel so badly that his temples throbbed from resisting and although he struggled to understand what the older man was trying to accomplish, he already knew what he desired the most. The only thing holding him back was the inability to determine whether he would be successful or not if he pushed forward.

"I'll try again, and this time, I'm going to go as far as I can manage. Which I know I will fuck this up again, but…." Dean inhaled deeply and swallowed as their eyes met, "here goes. You've got the most…beautiful eyes. The kind that makes me just want to drown in them. Everything about you is so damn pristine, I just want to know your story. I want to…know why I'm drawn to you, man. Why I can't stop thinking about you. I mean, I could be in class and suddenly you pop into my head. Just like that. And I'm wondering what the hell is so magical about you that I can turn down all the attempts to flirt with women on campus and only focus on you." Dean studied the way blue orbs widened and he understood that he was doing something right. "Me buying those six packs was just a coping mechanism for when I couldn't build up the courage to talk to you."

"You bought a six pack tonight…" Castiel pointed out softly, toeing the parking lot and then allowing their eyes to meet again

Dean actually chuckled as his chest prickled from all kinds of emotions. "To go home and drink away the big disappointment I am to you. I can't flirt, remember?"

"You're doing quite splendidly so far." The older man offered a small smile of reassurance, and then he reached for the door handle behind Dean whilst maintaining a gaze. "If I'm worth it, as you believe I am," Castiel pulled open the door that wasn’t closed properly and pushed it in back with a soft click, "then keep trying."

"You smell damn good…" Dean's chest heaved uncontrollably and he thought that he would melt in a matter of seconds onto the parking lot. "Now you're killing me because you can't respect personal space. Dammit, why the hell am I so attracted to you?"

Castiel smiled and stepping closer, eating up the inches, he barely brought their lips close and glanced down at the inch of space. "Your scent is quite nice too. Spearmint toothpaste, correct?"

Dean swallowed, stiffened some more and could literally feel his heart trying to leap out of his chest. "Man, if you keep this up, you'll make me—"

"Hmm?" Castiel purposely allowed the front of their jeans to kiss softly, and the heat radiating from within the fabric was a little too much for both of them. "I'll make you _what_? Enlighten me on what stage you're currently on so that I may meet you, at least halfway."

"Help me oh God," green eyes lifted to the black sky and then squeezed shut. His body was switching from park to drive and soon the car would go rolling down towards a path that would definitely make him crash.

"You just might win me over," Castiel's words were so close, his breath kissing Dean's parted lips. "I think you're magical too."

That little smirk, that immediately could make him explode if he just allowed himself to.

"Jesus Christ," trying to take measured breaths but failing as their lips danced closer, Dean squeezed his eyes shut again and willed a particular part of his body to stay down. But of course, such things were unachievable when the heavenly smells of vanilla and cedar were consuming his mind. "Okay, now I'm feeling like you're a damn packet of Skittles and I'm tasting rainbows, man."

"You're poetic too," Castiel chuckled, teasingly bumped their noses together and then he chuckled but daringly, Dean tried to inch their lips closer. The older man pulled his head back though, and smiled mischievously. "Drive safe. Pay attention to the road and do not allow your mind to be consumed by me. Good night." And suddenly stepping away, Castiel turned around and retreated with a contented smile on his face, leaving a disturbed and somewhat elated owner of widened green eyes staring in his wake.


	3. The Condoms and Halls

The next week Dean was back at the supermarket again

He wished that he could visit the damn place every night, but knowing that his classes and excessive reading tied him up too much, it just wasn’t possible. For hours he would stay up studying for exams and working on projects, group projects that showered him with most of the work. Then there was his part time job at Bobby's workshop where he fixed up people's cars and earned a decent share of wages to tackle food and other necessities. Apart from those things, he could only manage about an hour reading every night before falling asleep, dreaming of someone in particular and wondering why traversing said person’s body felt like exploring Wonderland over and over again.

Maybe it was coincidental that their paths crossed but with light conversation for two consecutive weeks. Both Wednesdays, the older man was far too busy with the rush of customers to accomplish much chit chat. He would briefly linger his eyes on Dean, that warming smile softening his face, and then after the two of them acknowledged each other with the memories of their encounter in the parking lot, they would return to their lives. One was the floor supervisor who performed a range of duties despite his observatory role, and the other was a college student with little time to spare whilst shopping.

"I mean, he's got to be something," Sam lamented on the phone on a Friday when the rains came down and the campus was wet and cold. The grass was slicked back like a cool kid’s hair and the gutters gushed from the swell of water. "For a dude like you who chases after skirts by the way…to meet this guy and instantly fall for him, he's got to be like majorly attractive."

"He is, actually," Dean waved at Benny as he came into the apartment hugging a huge paper bag filled with takeout burgers from Master Grill. "Older. Maybe in his early forties and fucking amazing to look at. You know, I could feel the surprise after that little spark came through. For me, you know how it goes."

"Yeah. You hit the bar and you pick up a woman. This time, you ran into a garden of flowers inside a supermarket. What are the odds," Sam seemed impressed and completely shocked, "that my brother, Dean Winchester, would be dreaming about screwing another guy…you got a picture of him?"

"Sadly, nothing to jerk off to."

"Too much information, bruh," the younger Winchester winced as Benny tossed Dean a look of sheer humor. "Listen, Jess and I might come out there in two months tops. Hopefully, you've already hit that up by then and the two of you are playing doll house. I just want to see you find someone that sticks, man. Tired of listening to you go on and on about random women who never want to tie you down."

"Cassie was as close as. Lisa, meh."

Sam snorted and a car door slammed on his end. "Where are they now, Dean? They didn't stick, which is my point. And maybe there's a reason, like…you _could_ have always been gay and that's okay."

"I'll kick your ass," Dean warned, spinning a phone charger around his finger like a lasso. Chances are, his dear little brother was on the move and about to snuggle into a cozy spot on his bed. But he'd never divulge that information willingly unless coerced. "I'm not like Elton John, man. I don't know what this is. Except that it built up and kept coming at me and I thought it was a little obsessive but after we talked…man, he smells _so_ good."

"Dean." The younger Winchester groaned, possibly burying his head of golden locks into his arms. “Get a hold of yourself, man.”

"He smells like vanilla cookies and he's warm and cuddly like a teddy bear. I'm losing my shit."

"Yeah, you are," the younger Winchester snorted again and then after a small pause, he burst out laughing. "Oh, dude, you are so screwed. Are you listening to yourself? Since when do you even think of someone as a stuffed animal? Sure you're not looking to just adopt a pet?"

"You know, I could do without your sarcasm, you bitch."

"Go _jerk_ yourself off to _sweet_ memories of your vanilla scented teddy bear shaped vibrator."

"You're lucky I'm not—" Dean growled when the line went dead and he tossed the phone onto his bed.

Hopefully, he would be brave enough to approach the situation with a determination unlike any other. But how? It seemed as if the two of them were destined to keep meeting without actually moving further than a damn spark. Not to complain though, falling for a guy wasn't something that actually made him feel quite comfortable about the whole situation. Dean understood that this was different. He was fully aware of the new territories he would have to cross into and how his entire mindset would have to switch up to accommodate the likes of a guy instead of a chick in his life.

_In his life…_

He wasn't even sure at that point if Castiel really wanted to be pursued but he _had_ started the ball rolling. Castiel bumped noses with him for fuck's sake. The guy literally came right into his personal space and confessed that _he,_ Dean Winchester, was magical, like a unicorn. He oozed magic, sex appeal hopefully and he was damn proud of that moment, privileged for the final confirmation that the other man _liked_ him. But how much, he wasn't sure at that point because Castiel was as straight as an arrow, with that whole purity vibe going on.

Maybe he was a Jehovah’s Witness, or a Mormon. He had the whole pristine, white shirt vibe going on, the polished shoes and charming countenance. He also wore his tie all the way up to his damn neck, reeked of Old Spice and vanilla…goddamn it, it was the mixture of scents that curled his toes.

"I kind of lied when I told him I don't want to screw him most of all," Dean confessed to Benny over dinner that night in the small cramped apartment they shared on the fifth floor. The view from the window revealed nothing but the expansive lawns and the rooftop of Chand's Supermarket through the hazy downpour. "I mean, I want to screw his brains out, man. I actually want to go _there_ with him. With a dude."

"Brother, do you even know what _there_ is?" Benny laughed and poked at his pasta covered with sauce and cheese. "Let me tell you, with a man, it's a whole other level than with a woman. And you know I'm talking from lots of experience with both."

"Yeah, yeah. Isn't it supposed to be easier because you're playing with toys you already know about?" his innocent look rocked his friend into a bout of laughter that sent him reaching for his beer.

After taking a long pull, Benny shook his head. "Different men, different strokes, Dean. Two men can do a world of things you probably haven't dreamt about as yet with Castiel. Especially since he's got that church boy vibe going, he's probably going to be very tender instead of rough. Brother might want to cuddle with you, whilst all you be thinking about is going at it until morning."

Dean scowled from the misjudgment of his character because he could cuddle. Contrary to popular beliefs, he actually could be the softest lover in bed, and it would be a damn good thing if both of them were all slow and careful with each other. Damn. Now his mind was drifting and so was the gearstick between his legs, which as of recent, was only responding to thoughts of Castiel and not even the women in his Busty Babes magazines.

"I'm a lover, not a fighter," he said, as the rains came down and soaked the lawns of the campus where a few students scattered under umbrellas. "Besides, it seems as if it's more talk and less action with him."

"Then give him signs about what you want, my brother. Subtly. Don't come across aggressive by grabbing his crotch. Ease your way into it by adding a little humor…"

Folding his arms, Dean frowned. "The dude doesn't _do_ humor. He's like Mr. Fud. English Lit 101."

"Sophisticated virgin look coupled with a mad scientist vibe?" Benny stared back in awe and when his friend nodded, he threw back his head and guffawed. "Man, that is some fucked up shit you got yourself attached to. The brother might sanctify the bed before he throws you down, with holy water and a string of beads."

"Hey, fuck you, man," Dean collected a napkin and dabbed at his lips whilst scowling deeper. "Fuck you, and your kinky ideas."

What was _kinky_ though, was where his hands wandered at nights, with the lights off and the low hum of the A.C unit outside his window.

Dean would lie in the dark buried inside his soft sheets and he would touch himself unlike any other memory of traversing such a thing before. Slow at first, guided by a hand that was relentless, he squeezed his eyes shut and imagined it was Castiel's caress, trailing from the nape of his neck to the middle of his chest and then downwards. Further down south, trembling like a leaf as sweat emanated from his pores, arching his hips and biting his lips. Soft pleasure that curled his toes and allowed him to escape into a world where he could be fucked by a ghost.

Did Castiel even try to visit those areas when he thought of him though? Dean wondered and could never stop himself from feeling a little self-conscious of his importance to someone else. He was never too attached to girls in a way that forced him to imagine what they did with their hands when thoughts of him consumed their minds. But he wanted to know what the older man tried, and if he tried, what happened to his body. Did he open up and release himself gradually?

Maybe Castiel was very robotic, staring at the television until some soppy Lifetime movie ended and then rolling over every single night into a sleep that contained nothing about Dean or sex or any kind of intimacy.

Maybe he lied.

Maybe he did have a girlfriend and was baiting him into believing that he _could_ stand a chance when he really wasn't so special after all. Psychotic, obviously, but if Dean continued to think that way about every single person he thought as a potential love interest, then he would end up turning his fears into the truth like Lisa all over again. And Lisa was very much sweet and respectable until she tied him up, and left him shackled to her bed wearing nothing but a pair of red lace panties for her roommate to see.

"….Winchester, don't make me throw you out of my class," Billie, the Retail Marketing lecturer said stiffly, immediately tugging Dean back into the classroom.

Tuesday. It was a Tuesday, he was in a class and it was almost 11am, which meant that the next one after lunch would involve a test. Focus.

"You lucky I felt sorry for you and took you in here. I don't usually pull rejects off of my waiting list," she said, her tone leaking with sarcasm, leaning onto the desk with her arms folded.

"Then I guess I’m just lucky," Dean tried his award winning smile, tongue tucked between his teeth and the whole class chuckled. Because of course he was the funny guy, the only student who upturned every corner of campus with a string of jokes and his charisma.

"You best be sure of that once finals roll around because I'm going to scrape off the slackers and toss them out the door." And returning to writing neatly on the board about promotion preps, she continued in a brisk manner until midday. “As a matter of fact, Dean, I’m going to lay a paper on you just for your insolence. Write me a marketing proposal on any event that _you_ find interesting.”

“Don’t suppose I could try fleshing out a mobile strip club…” but he was shushed by a glare that attempted to burn through his brains from a teacher who couldn’t care less about failing any student.

"So I was thinking," Charlie, his friend who clicked with him since the first day jogged up after class and smiled excitedly, "in order to get us both what we want, you know, finding the ideal person before we graduate, I’m proposing a double date. You and Ruby. Me and Meg."

By then, Dean was a little too preoccupied by the planes of someone else’s body to even consider the contours of any female. "Not going to happen in this lifetime or any other one," he tugged the strap of his backpack a little more onto his shoulder and frowned at the students spilling into the cafeteria. "I'm just not on the lookout."

"Because he's got his radar set on priest," Benny bumped shoulders with him and smiled from ear to ear. "Ain't that right, brother?"

Immediately, Charlie's eyes grew as wide as saucers and when they settled onto a table near the window, she couldn't stop scrutinizing his face with wild interest. Dean though, stared back and couldn't believe that she was so convinced of Benny's outright display of misusing the damn English language. He sighed, raked his fingers through his hair and tossed a glare at the man sitting by his side.

"I told you nothing would come out of it. Why would you bring it up?" he asked in dismay. "Now I'm not going to hear the last of it until I spill every goddamn thing there is to know."

Half an hour later and Charlie was filled in up to the moment when Castiel referred to him as magical. Her squeals reached the ears of many students at nearby tables. Dean ducked out of public scrutiny and his cheeks glowed a bright red before he scowled at Benny’s outright roar of laughter.

"I've always wanted a gay best friend," Charlie licked the sauce off her plastic spoon and seemed pleased. “And it’s like…I always _knew_ you weren’t that much into Lisa because you couldn’t stop complaining about the sex…”

When in fact, he never went as far as degrading the actual activity in general, just that with his ex…she had a knack for foreplay. Her idea of sex was dry humping and excessive tongue, which pretty much left him revved up. Until she suddenly started to pull her clothes back on, leaving him with a serious problem inside his pants and an anger problem.

"Look, I'm not…" Dean glanced around and glared at the two eager faces considering him, "…I'm not gay. So you two can stop filling me with rainbows and get a life."

"Let's go to Chand's and stalk this guy—"

“I’m as game as you are—"

"No!" Dean said quickly, cutting both of them off, his cheeks coloring, and after settling down again, flattening the lapels of his jacket, he swallowed. "No way are you two going to do anything like that because it's screwed up. Dammit, at least let me see how the hell this goes before I introduce him to Hansel and Gretel."

“And you’ve not made a move in how long?” Benny stared back incredulously. “Dean, do you even know how the hell to flirt with a guy?”

He didn’t. But he wasn’t prepared to accept defeat. “Yeah, of course,” he shrugged and avoided eye contact, “I’ll just walk up to him and start talking…”

“About what?” Charlie pressed on, chin cupped onto her palm and considering him with a soft smile. “About how you’d like to lick him like an ice cream cone? About how you’d like to blow him until he burns out his vocal cords?”

Huh?

“You _do_ know you’re going to have to give him a blowjob, right? Something that used to make you gag when I talked about it because the act of putting a man’s cock in your mouth was too much for—” Benny snorted when Dean sprang up from the table, face coloring bright red, and after grabbing his books and bag wildly, he dashed away, ducking through swarms of students. “I think he might reconsider the Jehovah’s Witness now.”

“He’s a _what_?!” Charlie choked on her mouthful of Sprite.

The next time he was in the supermarket already busy in preparations for Christmas which was two months away, Dean wandered into the pharmacy area and became wildly interested in the variety of condoms.

He approached the situation slyly at first, trying to pretend that his interest was piqued by the assortment of Gillette products which were stacked right next to the condoms. But every so often as customers wandered away, Dean studied the flavored kinds, the rough riders, the many sizes…

The usual choice for him was always so basic, except the one time a very kinky first year proposed a lemon flavored condom because she had an obsession with lollipops. When the biting commenced, as she became too lost in the moment of trying to find the chewing gum in the center, the entire lovemaking session ended. Because if it was one thing Dean despised was someone trying to maul away the precious cargo inside of his pants. And gone were those days anyway, when he would hit a girl up for the pleasure of satisfying his needs.

When was the last time he had sex?

Caressing a Gillette Mach 3 set of the darkest blue, he felt a little unsettled from the memory going back to two months ago when Sheila from Business Mathematics exchanged notes for a quickie behind the Chem labs. Her lips were bright red and her rack very much like melons except that he hadn't really been interested in that particular fruit but the outcome of just having sex with someone. Anyone.

He was desperate just like he seemed to be whilst studying those condoms and the dull ache transformed into a full blown _wild animal trapped in a cage_ inside his pants moment. Until the supermarket grew a little too heated, the lanes began to close in, a thin layer of sweat covered his neck and he literally anticipated a damn panic attack. And why? He was deprived of a little TLC?

Benny couldn’t be more wrong about their last conversation, about placing particular parts of a man’s anatomy into his mouth. Because Dean dreamed of things, very sexual things that involved such an act of deliverance from all his thirsty woes. He craved the magnitude of the situation and yearned to taste the rainbow in more ways than one.

Dean glanced at a very attractive blonde that brushed shoulders with him, and as she plucked a pair of pink razors from the shelf, he tried a smile. Her reaction was instant, those hazel eyes mellowing until the softened stance evolved into a flirtatious batting of her eyelashes. The beginning of the mating game, the signs as clear as day and quite beautiful. And even as he commented on her ACDC t-shirt, when _Amanda_ asked for his number, Dean suddenly froze up, swallowed and couldn't speak a word after.

Digits. No. Cheating. It felt like cheating. But on who? The Floor Supervisor who thought he was magical and possibly wanted to have prolonged conversations without the prospect of intimacy? What was intimacy? All he understood about intimacy was the certainty of going all the way with a woman. But a dude? A freaking dude was a whole other level. And he was cheating.

Castiel.

He was being unfaithful.

"I kind of got my eyes set on…someone," he tried, his chest blowing up like a balloon and ready to burst from being so close to admitting that the _someone_ was a hunk of a male under the same roof. "But you're something…"

"Thanks," Amanda brushed a few strands of blonde hair behind an ear and nodded. "I wish you luck with whoever that someone is. A guy with your looks shouldn't be chasing anyone. They should be chasing you."

"Amen to that," Dean proudly admitted before they laughed a little and then…she was gone and he startled after the sound of something dragging on the tiled floor drifted from across the lane.

Apparently, Castiel was quite oblivious to their closeness as he attempted to reposition a large red sign featuring Halls with the slogan 'Get Your Throat Game Ready' next to the display rack containing an assortment of mints. Concealing himself and developing a mischievous plan inside his mind, Dean awaited the older man to move off. Then after he highlighted the absence of anyone around, he went towards the sign and dragged it, making as much noise as possible to capture the attention of his crush towards a particular place.

Castiel immediately pinpointed the movement and when their eyes met, he seemed dazed for a moment before drifting towards the owner of sparkling green eyes.

"What on _earth_ are you doing? May I help you with something?"

After snorting and straightening up, Dean smiled back and gestured quite proudly at the sign. "Doesn't my redecorating say it all?"

For a moment Castiel couldn't determine the message that seemed too encrypted, but after his stare rested on the assortment of condoms and then returned to the sign that openly lamented on getting one's _Throat Game Ready_ , he clamped a hand onto his mouth and snorted. Blue eyes widened, obviously impressed and both of them burst out laughing after three seconds.

Castiel raked his fingers through messy dark hair and tried to block the sign as two elderly women strolled by. Awkwardly smiling and tipping his head, he offered a small wave and then turned to his partner in crime with a surprising look of adoration.

"I suppose marketing can be twisted to accommodate all sorts of playfulness. You'd do quite well in such an area."

"It's my major actually," Dean offered a shrug and a lopsided grin and feeling all too flustered from his actions being embraced as humorous, he sighed. "So, you got the message loud and clear then? Or do you need me to draw a picture…"

"I'm quite…clear on the content of the message, you ass." Collecting the stem of the pull up sign, the floor supervisor carefully dragged it away from the condoms rack as his companion snickered, cheeks tinged red. "Tell me, Dean, is _your_ throat game ready?"

"Dunno," the younger man couldn't stop laughing at Castiel's attempts to appear quite composed whilst returning to the Halls section and fixing up the sign where it was initially. "How about we head outside and I can check that out for you? The back of my car maybe?"

"I thought you promised that your flirting would _not_ center on sexual…suggestions?"

Dean stood back, arms folded, and he offered a sheepish look since nothing else was consuming his mind. "I can't control where my mind takes me when I'm dreaming, man. And besides, you were practically avoiding me for the past two weeks, so I had to jump the gun. You know, do something outrageous to get you back on track. The crush I have on you ain't dying out and we really need to do something about it."

Sighing, the older man nodded, chewed on his lips with lowered eyes and carefully reached out to pluck a Gillette razor from the shelf. He fixed the price tag that was lopsided and seemed to be pondering on something for a few seconds. Throughout this internal process of untangling his thoughts though, Dean studied Castiel's face and for the first time, he realized how the other man's features were beyond handsome. He didn't entertain a scruff, but the hints of black tinged with grey covered small patches on his jaw.

"I have to admit that I'm rather intrigued by you, Dean. I really _really_ am.”

"Then what are we waiting for?" green eyes sparkled as the younger man held out his arms in dismay. "Let me take you out. Get to know you, dammit. At least we can talk about the things we like, the things we don’t like and then decide if there's something between us. Something that could work." After Castiel locked eyes with him and offered a look of utter disbelief, Dean realized the words that slipped from his lips rolled off so smoothly. "I mean," he cleared his throat and glanced away, scratching the back of his neck nervously, "if you _want_ to hang out with me, that is. It's not like I’m forcing you into anything because—"

“Are you asking me out on a date?” the older man’s tone wavered as his hands fumbled nervously with the shampoos, moving them around unnecessarily.

Dean though was far too impressed by himself to notice the demise in those blue eyes, the uncertainty, the nervousness, the softness. “Why the hell not? I should have done it ages ago so—"

"My shift is over in an hour," Castiel said quickly with a smile so warm, his entire face lit up like a Christmas tree.

Dean though, stared back in complete awe and could not even decipher exactly what the older man meant. So he maintained his stare and awaited further clarity, his jaw slackening like a fish thirsting water. No. He couldn’t be certain, could he? Had his ears deceived him? Had the heavens opened up and produced a rainbow somewhere? Was he being pranked? Was this some dumb Tik Tok dare to humiliate the hell out of him?

"You may wait in the car. I'll meet you outside, Dean."

Fuck. This was it. The actual moment where he could literally ask a guy out on a date and said guy accepted. The damn world was shifting, he could feel it, shifting into place so that he could caress his own ego.

"Uh, great!" he managed, swelling with pride from understanding that this was too easy, and he should have done it ages ago. "Cool! I'll…wait then. See you in…an hour then. Fantastic." Backing away, he kept on nodding before reaching the head of the lane and then as Castiel sent him a look of absolute adorable fascination, Dean turned around and literally sprinted out of the supermarket.

After reaching his car, he glanced around, noticed no onlookers and leapt into the air, pumping his fists wildly before calming down and pulling open the car door.


End file.
